The Morel of the Story: Comparing Scientific Research with Local Mushroom Hunters’ Knowledge of Morel Mushrooms
Mushroom hunting is a specialized skill that takes years to learn. Wild mushroom species are difficult to identify, and many wild mushrooms are poisonous. No one, therefore, should eat a mushroom found in the wild unless he or she is with an experienced person who can positively identify the species as safe to eat.
Scientists wanted to learn from mushroom hunters about morels, a kind of mushroom. They wanted to combine mushroom hunters' knowledge with that of scientists studying morels to better understand the morel population in Mid-Atlantic national parks.
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In this FACTivity, you will examine the parts of a mushroom. Materials: Paper Pencil “The Morel of the Story” article A mushroom or 2-3 species of mushrooms with stalks from...FACTivity – The Morel of the Story
In this FACTivity, you will examine the parts of a mushroom. Materials: Paper Pencil “The Morel of the Story” article A mushroom or 2-3 species of mushrooms with stalks from... -
Some scientists engage in a form of oral history gathering by collecting information from people about plants, animals, or environments. In this FACTivity, you will do your own oral history...FACTivity – Oral History-Making
Some scientists engage in a form of oral history gathering by collecting information from people about plants, animals, or environments. In this FACTivity, you will do your own oral history... -
After reading “The Morel of the Story,” test your knowledge with a crossword puzzle.Crossword – The Morel of the Story
After reading “The Morel of the Story,” test your knowledge with a crossword puzzle.
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Mushroom hunting is just one of the terms used to describe searching for wild mushrooms. Other terms include mushrooming, mushroom picking, and mushroom foraging. Learn more about mushroom hunting in...Spotlight – What Is Mushroom Hunting?
Mushroom hunting is just one of the terms used to describe searching for wild mushrooms. Other terms include mushrooming, mushroom picking, and mushroom foraging. Learn more about mushroom hunting in...
Glossary
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Marla Emery
My favorite experience was interviewing a man who grew up gathering plants in the forests. He had a lot of experience. He helped me understand many things about how local...View Profile -
Elizabeth Barron
My favorite experience is hiking and looking at plants and trees. I never thought much about mushrooms until I started the morel mushroom project. At the time, I did not...View Profile
Standards addressed in this Article:
Social Studies Standards
- Culture
- Global Connections
- People, Places, and Environments
- Time, Continuity, and Change
Note To Educators
The Forest Service's Mission
The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.
What Is the Natural Inquirer?
Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.
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Meet the Scientists
Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.
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What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?
Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.
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Thinking About Science
Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.
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Thinking About the Environment
Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.
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Introduction
Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.
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Method
Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.
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Findings & Discussion
Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.
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Reflection Section
Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.
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Number Crunches
Presents an easy math problem related to the research.
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Glossary
Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.
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Citation
Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.
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FACTivity
Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.
Science Education Standards
You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.
We Welcome Feedback
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Contact
Jessica Nickelsen
Director, Natural Inquirer program -
Email
Lessons
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In a strange twist of fate, your class has been transformed into the scientist or scientists they will read about in any Natural Inquirer article. Have students fill out the...Lesson Plan – Postcard
In a strange twist of fate, your class has been transformed into the scientist or scientists they will read about in any Natural Inquirer article. Have students fill out the...
Education Files
Project Learning Tree
If you are a trained Project Learning Tree educator, you may use “The Fallen Log” or “People of the Forest” as additional resources.